The Nintendo Switch 2 introduces a new feature called GameChat, which is integrated directly into the console and highlighted as a significant addition to the gaming experience. However, users need to be aware that setting up GameChat requires identity verification through a phone number. If you haven't linked a phone number to your Nintendo Account yet, you'll need to provide one. Nintendo will send a text message to this number to link your GameChat activity to it, so it's essential to use it responsibly.
For younger players, there's an additional step: if you're under 16, GameChat will be inaccessible until a parent or guardian enables it through the Parental Controls app. They will also need to provide their own phone number for verification purposes. According to information spotted by Eurogamer on Nintendo's website, it appears that this requirement applies to every user with a Nintendo Account on the Switch 2, even if the console is shared. IGN has reached out to Nintendo for clarification on this matter.
To access GameChat while playing on the Switch 2, simply press the new 'C' button on the various controllers. This feature allows up to four players to engage in video chat or up to 24 to participate in a group audio call. During a video call, players can use a separately sold camera peripheral to broadcast themselves and stream their gameplay. This marks Nintendo's first venture into this kind of service, setting it apart from its previous online offerings.
Nintendo Switch 2 System and Accessories Gallery
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Last week, Digital Foundry disclosed the final specs for the Nintendo Switch 2, noting that the GameChat feature significantly impacts system resources. This has raised concerns among developers. Nintendo offers a GameChat testing tool that simulates API latency and L3 cache misses to help developers test without needing active GameChat sessions. This raises questions about whether GameChat affects game performance when it's on or off. If the resources allocated to GameChat are within the system's capacity, there should be no difference. However, the provision of emulation tools suggests that there might be some impact that developers need to account for.
As Digital Foundry pointed out, "We'll be interested to see how GameChat may (or may not) impact game performance as this does seem to be an area of developer concern." We'll have to wait until the Switch 2's release on June 5 to know for sure.
Remember, GameChat will be free to use for the first 10 months after the Switch 2's launch. After March 31, 2026, a Nintendo Switch Online membership will be required to continue using the feature.
This week, we also got a glimpse of a Switch 2 game cartridge and heard that Samsung is interested in supplying OLED screens for a potential Switch 2 upgrade.
